Right Angle Media, the pioneering out-of-home media company, plans to invest an additional Dh250 million ($68 million) in the year 2010 for public infrastructure and street furniture projects in the Mena region.

It has already invested over Dh350 million in the UAE in launching the world’s first air-conditioned bus queue shelters in Dubai. The additional investment plan is part of a long-term drive by Right Angle Media to tap the vast potential that exists in the UAE and Mena region for innovative out-of-home media solutions.

At present, Right Angle Media, which started operations in January 2006, has a total outlay of over 900 air-conditioned bus shelters in over 650 locations in Dubai under an exclusive arrangement with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

It has now unveiled an ambitious regional growth strategy beyond its existing commitment to the Dubai air-conditioned bus shelter project totaling over Dh1 billion.

The project is scheduled to run for 10 years on a DBOT (design, build, operate, transfer) basis. The company also holds First Right of Refusal for all future bus queue shelters to come up in Dubai.

As part of its regional strategy, Right Angle Media aims to operate over 3500 bus shelters by 2012. The company is also actively pursuing numerous other growth opportunities including joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, said a statement.

“We are pleased with what we have achieved in the last three years,” said Ahmed Hashim Khoory, chairman of Right Angle Media.

“We have established a very successful model in the out-of-home media market, and have now set our sights on expanding across the region. We have a clear programme of significant investment and expansion over the next five years to become the No.1 out-of-home media company in the UAE and the entire Mena region. We are actively looking at joint ventures, acquisitions and mergers in UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” he added.

Patrick Chaundy, president and CEO of Right Angle Media, said: “Right Angle Media has achieved tremendous growth with its experience and expertise in the out-of-home media sphere.

“In spite of the global downturn, Right Angle Media vigorously pursued and achieved business goals, and continues to remain vibrant, as it embarks on an ambitious regional expansion phase in 2010. Based on extensive research that we have undertaken, we have identified that a vast potential exists in the region for a comprehensive out-of-home media solutions provider.”

“Right Angle has witnessed significant and positive results in the past 10 months of 2009. We have increased our brand count by 350 per cent between January to November. Occupancy has increased by 100 per cent over the same period and revenues by 49 per cent,” Chaundy continued.

“Today, we can proudly look back at our contribution towards Dubai’s public infrastructure, having pioneered the world’s most unique street furniture project. In fact, we are the only out-of-home media company to have substantially invested in public infrastructure in the UAE,” he said.

“The air-conditioned bus shelters have not only ushered in a new trend in commuter convenience, but also an innovative outdoor advertising medium. Our bus shelters have become a benchmark in street furniture projects in the region that reflects our expertise drawn from our many years of experience in the out-of-home industry,” Chaundy concluded. – TradeArabia News Service